Recent Searches

Close

History

Close

Recent Pages

Recent Searches

EIU Master of Arts in Communication Studies

Research Opportunities play video

Andrew McLaughlin, an EIU graduate student and combat veteran, explains the video diary he is producing for his Communications Studies coursework.
Learn More
Currently we have an 86%
positive placement rate
within three months of graduation.

The Master of Arts in Communication Studies offers a program in advanced scholarship that reflects the development of historical and contemporary influences on communication theory and practice.

Specifically, we offer concentrations grounded in a rigorous theoretical base that inform communication practices, therefore preparing students to enter into academic and workplace environments.



Request More Information Apply Now
Online Option: Communication and Leadership GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN COMMUNICATION PROCESSES

Why Choose EIU for Communication Studies

Actively Engaged

Graduate students in the Department of Communication Studies are highly active in the department, the university, and the field. Students consistently put together interesting projects that have been accepted at conferences around the country and have garnered awards on campus. They have been mentored by a theoretically and methodologically diverse faculty that encourages students to conduct research on important topics and to engage in applied projects, such as producing films and communication campaigns.

Research Opportunities

We offer two types of capstone experience: a traditional academic thesis and a creative thesis. A traditional thesis provides students an opportunity to engage in original research that can make an important contribution to the field.

Achieve Your Goals

Whether it's getting a professional job, a teaching job, or going on to a Ph.D. program, our students have been very successful after they graduate our program. Building on significant theoretical and methodological commitments, the graduate program provides the background necessary to be successful in numerous communication-oriented careers.

Supportive Environment

Our faculty and students actively engage with one another inside and outside the classroom. We also offer alumni and student mentoring programs to help students develop close relationships with their peers and professionals. Our mentorship program enables graduate students to:

  • navigate the demands of graduate school
  • develop relationships among peers and professionals in the field of communication
  • develop techniques for networking and collaborating with others
  • deal more confidently with the challenges of academic writing and research

Pedagogy Option

In addition to students' area of concentration, our program offers a pedagogy option. This option provides further instruction and experience in collegiate level teaching for students interested in teaching communication at two-year or four-year institutions after they graduate.

Concentrations

Strategic Communication

The focus of the Strategic Communication concentration is the critical thinking and analysis necessary to develop and implement communication strategies that advance an organization’s goals and mission. Click here for more information on this program.

Interpersonal Communication Processes

The focus of the Interpersonal Communication Processes concentration is to incorporate theoretical and applied perspectives on interpersonal communication. More specifically, we are interested in the construction and negotiation of social reality, focusing on the fundamental processes that occur during interaction. Click here for more information on this program.

Media and Critical Studies

The focus of the Media and Critical Studies concentration is to explore various literatures that highlight institutionalized and structural power differentials as they relate to rhetorical and discursive constructions of race and ethnicity, gender, socio-economic class, sexuality, and global/geographical location. Click here for more information on this program.

Pedagogy Option

The Department of Communication Studies at Eastern Illinois University is proud to be one of the few programs in the region to offer graduate students an option area in communication pedagogy. As a department in a teaching-focused institution we have long valued the importance of training individuals to teach communication well and communicate well while teaching. Click here for more information on this program.

Graduate Certificate in Communication Processes

The online Graduate Certificate in Communication Processes is geared towards teachers who are interested in teaching dual-credit public speaking classes at the high school level. Click here for more information on this program.

Communication and Leadership

The online option in Communication and Leadership targets working professionals, especially individuals aspiring to leadership roles in their current professions. Effective leadership often depends on effective communication. Click here for more information on this program.



Meet our Faculty

Dr. Rich Jones

Professor of Communication Studies

Dr. Angela Jacobs

Associate Professor / Graduate Coordinator

Dr. Elizabeth Gill

Professor/Director of B.S. in Health Communication
view all faculty

Don't take our word for it

"My public relations classes helped, teaching me about promotional techniques. Courses I took as part of the Advertising minor were also helpful in developing important skills, especially learning to use Adobe Suite products."

Lisa Schleef ('12)

"I really feel that my Communication Studies M.A., coupled with my experience as a graduate assistant, opened the doors to my career. At EIU, I was able to pair hands-on experience through my GA with in-depth research, analysis and writing through my studies. I attribute these complementary experiences to me landing the internship that led to my career."

Catherine Bocke ('11)

"My focus on interpersonal communication has helped me to navigate my classroom. I also do advising and I tell my students interpersonal classes teach practical skills that help inside and outside the classroom. Students tell me they use the material in interviews."

Miranda Stewart (‘12)

"My EIU professors were incredibly supportive of what interests I decided to pursue and provided invaluable guidance for me when I started to pursue them. These professors are not only willing to speak on my behalf… but have inspired me to realize I have the ability to pursue a degree I never thought possible. Their dedication to my scholarship and positive influence in my life, have carried me to the place I am today.”

Tasha Rennels ('13)

Related Pages

Undergraduate Studies

Contact Information

Angela S. Jacobs, Ph.D.
Graduate Coordinator

Buzzard 2419
217-581-2020
asjacobs@eiu.edu


Take the next step

apply now
schedule a visit

Connect.

Contact Us.

Contact Us | Accessibility | About EIU | Emergency Information | Employment at EIU | Campus Map | Freedom of Information Act | Supporting our Veterans | Concerns & Complaints | Privacy Statement

Eastern Illinois University is authorized to operate as a postsecondary educational institution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.